The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-05-12
ECHOES FROM THE FRONT.
The Work or the Deadly Bullet on the Atlanta
Campaign.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: There has
been a great deal written about how the rebel
Gen. Polk was killed. In referring 70 some
notes kept by me at the time, ! find that Gen.
Polk was killed at Pine Mountain, Ca. on June
II, 1864, by a shell from one of the guns Of the
9th Ind. battery-Capt. Simonson's. The Cap
tain was at that time Acting Chief OF Artillery
of the Fourth Corps, aud two days after the
death Of Polk the brave Captain was himself
killed by rebel sharpshooter.
Capt Mcdowell, of the 9TH Pa. battery sue
ceeded the lamented SimOnson as Chief of the
Fourth Corps artillery. and he too was killed
while passing in the rear Of our regiment (Sith
ILL., on his way from one battery TO another on
our line near Marietta, Ca, on the 9th of
June; thus in the short space Of II days the
Fourth Corps artillery lost two chiefs. The
death Of Capt Mcdowell is as fresh in my
memory as If it had only occurred yesterday. l
remember noticing him as he passed in the rear
otmy company, going 10 the left Ofour regiment,
where one Of his batteries was planted, and how
/ thought he was needessly exposing himself
by walking on the bank when be could just as
well have walked in the trench. The rebels
had an outlook in the edge of the woods in our
front, and as my brave namesake was returning
10 the right, still walking on the bank, he was
struck by the deadly bullet of a rebel marks
man, and in few moments expired in my arms.
When he fell ran 10 him as fast as possible,
and the only words he uttered were, Help me,
Captain" 1 Immediately sent man to inform
the Lieutenant in command of a battery on our
left that the Captain was killed, and he sent
detail and took him away. / remember that
my first thought was 10 sit down and mme-
diately write 10 my wife TO inform her that it
was not myself that was killed, knowing
how easy il would be 10 confOund the names,
the rank being the same, and only one letter
difference in the name; his being :" A. j." and
mine A. S." Sure enough, the telegraph then,
as now, was faster than the mail. and the news
papers had me killed, and my friends trying to
keep the news from my wife, until she received
my letter telling her i was not killed.
The members Of Gen. Crosses Brigade will
remember this line as tho place where we lost
so many men. Ii was here the Lieutenant
Colonel of the 3lst Ind was killed while sitting
IN front of his tent reading a newspaper. Co.
i, Slth H., had two men-W. S. Patterson and
J. j. Kimery-killed by one ball, and w.
l.. Alexander and Hugh Brady, Of the same
company, were wounded while asleep in their
tent. SO close were we TO the enemy's line that
itwas dangerous for man TO show himself above
the headlog, and our pickets could only be re-
lieved at night. The enemy's line being in the
edge of the timber and ours in the open field.
they had the advantage of us. The boys will
remember that this is where our division re-
lieved Butteried's Division, of the Twentieth
Corps, and where we drove the rebels out Of
their rife-pit and built our works on the same
ground that was occupied by the rifle-pits, and
where we made it so hot for them that, in ac-
cordance with Johnston's tactics, Fire and fall
back" they pulled out on the night of July
2 and fell back TO their next line OF works, near
Smyrna Church.
/ would like 10 say few words about "sav-
ingthe day" at Franklin. would not willingly
detract an iots from the glory due any man
ha In hafvh H..
men fought SO well as all did at the battle of
Franklin; but in my humble opinion the saw
ing Of the day belongs 10 Gen. ID. 5. Stanley
more than TO any other one man. Severely
wounded aud his horse shot from under him,
he was furnished another horse by Gen. Cox, 1
believe, of the Twenty-third Corps, and re-
manned in immediate command of the troops
until the battle was over aud his command was
back in the vicinity of Nashville, where it ar
rived after a weary nights march, never to be
forgotten, in the forenoon of the next day.
Then, and not till then, did the brave COM
mander Of the Fourth Corps leave his post of
duty. IL will be remembered that Gen. Scho-
field was the ranking officer during the battle
OF Franklin, but he occupied the fort on the
north side of the Hsrpeth River, while the
brave Stanley was in immediate command on
the field in what believe is conceded to be the
hardest-fought battle of the war, considering
the time il lasted and the numbers engaged.
Our regiment was on tho right Of the pike.
Our Colonel and Adjutant were both severely
wounded; and while do not claim any special
praise for it in this particular battle, do claim
that it contributed its full share in this and
every other battle in which il was engaged
Not only do claim this for our regiment, but
for every regiment in Crosses Brigade, Of Kim
balls Division. of the fighting Fourth Corps
A. S. MCDOWELL, Captain; Co. !, Saith ILL.,,
Clayton, Ill.